BRADY, TX —
At least one sand company in McCulloch County has shut down operations, and two more are expected to shutter by the end of April, impacting hundreds of employees, according to Brady/McCulloch County Chamber of Commerce President Erin Corbell.
Covia, a company formed with the Summer 2018 merger of Unimin and Fairmount Santrol, informed employees last week that they were closing its Unimin location in McCulloch County, Corbell said. The closure impacted approximately 30 employees.
By Jan. 31, 2019, the Fairmount facility is expected to close, affecting at least 100 employees. The Pioneer operations in Brady and Voca, which has two facilities, will be closed between February and April 2019, according to Corbell. The three Pioneer facilities employ approximately 150 people, Corbell estimated.
Michael Lawson, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications with Cadre Proppant, a US Silica affiliate, said in an email, “We are continually monitoring market conditions and customer buying preferences for sand but do not at the present time have definite plans to close our Voca plant.”
Corbell said this news will have an economic effect in McCulloch County, but to what extent, she does not know. She is encouraging residents to continue to support their communities by shopping local.
Assistance has been requested from the Texas governor, but has not yet been addressed, she said. The impact these closures will have on trucking companies in the area is not yet known.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as FOX West Texas receives it.
